Halloween petition: More than 100,000 people have signed on to officially move the holiday
Hold onto your jack-o'-lanterns, because Halloween might be changing forever.
A petition to move Halloween to the last Saturday of October has gained more than 100,000 signatures and is approaching the threshold required to be sent to the White House for a decision.
The petition, filed by the nonprofit Halloween & Costume Association, claims the new date will lead to a "safer, longer, stress-free celebration."
Halloween has been held on the last day of October for centuries, and the holiday's history goes back thousands of years, starting with an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. But now, those deep traditions could see a major change.
The Change.org page lists a number of stats that purportedly support the claim that moving Halloween to the weekend would make for a safer trick-or-treating experience for children.
There's certainly some truth to that notion. In fact, twice as many kids are killed walking on Halloween than on any other day of the year, according to the National Safety Council.
Additionally, the petition claims that a Saturday celebration would be more enjoyable for adults.
"51% Of Millennials say Halloween is their favorite holiday, why cram it into 2 rushed evening weekday hours when it deserves a full day!?!" the petition states.
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The petition was actually created last year, but failed to gain any real traction until this summer. More than 50,000 people have signed on in the past five days alone.
In fact, it could easily make its way to President Trump's desk if that rate keeps up. According to the White House website, petitions can qualify for formal consideration by gaining 100,000 signatures in 30 days.
If the petition — which has more collected more than 110,000 names in its total lifespan — can reach the 100,000-in-a-month threshold, it will be reviewed by the White House within 60 days. That means, theoretically speaking, that Halloween 2019 could occur on Saturday, Oct. 26, instead of Thursday, Oct. 31.
There's a slim chance of that happening, but if it does, there may be some cause for even more celebration. That's because Snickers — one of the most popular Halloween candies nationwide — has promised to give away one million free candy bars if the petition is actually approved.
"Snickers is all in on celebration Halloween to the fullest," Josh Olken, Snickers's brand director, said in a press release. "If the federal government makes this thing official, we're offering up to one million free Snickers to America. No tricks, only treats."
